Angel's Ascension, A Warriors Tale
by Shadoestar42
Summary: A troubled teenage girl runs away from her abusive home and joins a gang called the Alley Cats. Based on The Warriors.
1. Fallen Angel

_Disclaimer: **The Warriors** are property of Sol Yurick, Walter Hill and Paramount Pictures. Other characters property of Rockstar Games._**  
**

** Chapter 1**

** Fallen Angel**

_New York City_

_Tremont_

_March 10, 1978_

_1:02 PM_

Angel stood in front of her locker at Tremont High School. She had just spent another lunch hour eating tasteless food at a table by herself in the cafeteria. Her poor upbringing and her volatile nature ensured she had no friends here. Her only friend was Shade, who attended another school in Bensonhurst. She opened her locker and fixed her blonde hair in the mirror taped inside the door. Soon, she spotted two people walking up behind her. She turned around and came face to face with Clive. She was standing a little too close to his pale face and brown afro. With him, as usual, was Derek, who was running a comb through his greasy brown hair. Hassling Angel seemed to be one of their favorite hobbies. Usually involving lurid words of a sexual nature. "What the fuck do you jerkoffs want?" she said.

"Hey, Angel,' Clive said, giving her a taste of his bad breath, "What do you say we meet up after school and I'll show you what a real man can do with a woman?"

"Why? Have you actually found a real man?"

"Hey, you'd better not mess with us," Derek said, "Cause we're in a gang now and we'll come down on you hard!"

"You guys are with the Orphans. They're not even a real gang. My fucking grandparents could wreck you guys."

Clive put his arm on the lock next to her and leaned towards her face. "C'mon sugar, you know you want it."

"Fuck you!" She pushed Clive out of the way. "Now if you excuse me, I gotta get to class before your breath makes me puke on your shoes."

She grabbed her books and started walking down the hall. She stopped as she felt Derek grab her ass. She turned around and faced them. "You fucking touch me like that again, I'll kill you!"

"Ooh, you like it rough." Clive grabbed her arm. "I like a chick who plays rough."

He grabbed one of Angel's breasts. That was the last straw. She dropped her books and threw herself at Clive, tackling him. She punched him in the face repeatedly. "How 'bout this?" Angel screamed at him. "Is this rough enough for you, motherfucker?"

Next thing she knew, she felt a teacher pulling her off Clive. She knew what this meant. Yet another trip to the principal's office.

Ten minutes later, she was sitting across Mr. Hefferman's desk, watching him go though her files. "Let's see here," he said. "Ten counts of fighting, three counts of vandalizing school property, two counts of smoking reefer in the girl's room, five counts of mouthing off to a teacher, and three counts of drinking alcohol on school grounds. Anything else?"

"Well, I once egged Mrs. Perrine's car, but nobody found out about that."

"I'll make a note of that."

"Let's get right to the point okay? How much detention this time?"

"Actually, I'm not giving you detention."

Angel was surprised. "Wow, really? You're getting soft on me, old man."

"Actually, I'm expelling you."

_Tremont_

_5:12 PM_

Angel walked to the drug store where she usually met Shade. She stood there, buying paint off a spray dealer. She spotted, Angel, waved and ran towards her, her long dark hair flying behind her. "Angel. Honey, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing new. Got in trouble at school again."

"I hear you. I got caught spraying graffiti in the walls outside the gym. Principal must've been in a good mood 'cause he only gave me a day's detention. What did you get?"

"I got kicked out."

"Really? Wow, what was it this time? Fighting again?"

"Clive and Derek got a little too free with their hands. So I beat the shit out of them. Think I broke his Clive's nose."

"Good for you, girl! Those fucking creeps deserved it."

"Yeah, well, ever since they joined the Orphans, they think they're all tough shit."

"Dude, it's the fucking Orphans. They're the lamest gang in New York."

Angel shrugged. "Yeah, well it doesn't seem to matter much to them."

"So," Shade said, "How do you think you're dad's gonna react to the news?"

"Well, assuming he's sober enough, he'll yell and scream and call me a worthless piece of shit. You know, the usual?"

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"Eh, I'm used to it."

"Hey, I got an idea." Shade smiled and pulled a spray can out of her coat pocket. What do you say we pay a visit to your principal's house and bomb one of his walls?"

Angel smiled as her mood picked up. "Solid!"

_Tremont_

_7:00 PM_

Angel lay on the bed in her room, waiting for her dad to come home. He undoubtedly head about her expulsion by now and the shit was really gonna hit the fan. Maybe she'd luck out and he'd be out all night drinking again. The sound of the door to the apartment opening squashed those hopes.

"Angela!" he dad yelled from the kitchen.

"Great," Angel muttered. "This is gonna be fun."

Angel's dad burst into her room wearing a beer-stained tank top and a pair of ratty jeans that probably had to be washed. As usual, he was holding a bottle of whisky. "I got a call from your principal today! Told me you've been expelled!"

"Wow, you were actually sober enough to take the call! I'm impressed!"

"Oh, you think this is fucking funny, huh?" Angel's dad grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up. "That's the third school you've been kicked out of this year!"

"Hey, two guys at school harassed me and grabbed my ass. What was I supposed to do, threaten to tell my mommy?"

"The reason your mom walked out on us in the first place was because she had a piece of shit like you for a daughter!"

"Really? Wow, and all this time, I thought it had to do with the fact that you were a fucking drunk who beat the shit out of her. My mistake."

Angel's dad punched her in the stomach. She reeled from the blow. She straightened up, and grabbed her dad by the collar, furious. "Don't you ever hit me like that again! Do it and I'll fucking kill you!"

Her dad pushed her off and took a drink from the bottle. "What the fuck does it matter? You're worthless. Always have been. Always will."

He stumbled out the door, probably headed for the bar or liquor store. Angel sat on the bed and buried her head in her hands. She'd had enough. Enough of the drinking. Enough of the beatings. Enough of her dad constantly telling her how worthless she was. She'd finally had enough. She made a decision.

She put on her coat, grabbed whatever money she had, stuffed her pockets with as much food as she could and walked out the door. She wasn't quite sure what she was going to do, but she knew for sure she was never coming back here again.


	2. In the City

_Disclaimer: **The Warriors** are property of Sol Yurick, Walter Hill and Paramount Pictures. Other characters property of Rockstar Games._**  
**

**Chapter 2**

**In the City**

_Times Square_

_March 23, 1978_

_9:47 PM_

Angel stood on a street corner, scouting the area. It rained earlier that day. The puddles and wet streets were lit by the flickering street lights and huge neon signs above. She spotted a middle age walking stupid enough to be walking by himself. She quietly walked up to him. When she was close to him, she grabbed him from behind and held a knife to his throat. "Gimmie you fucking money!" she yelled into his ear. "Hand it over and you'll walk out of this alive!"

The man trembled as he reached into his coat pocket. Pulled out his wallet and handed to Angel. She opened it and found he only had a measly $7 on him. "Please, don't hurt me," the man said in a quivering voice.

"Shut up!" Angel said as he punched him in the face and ran off.

She ran into a nearby alley and glanced behind her. Thankfully, the cops hadn't spotted her. She decided to take a moment to count all the money she had gotten so far. Since running away from home, she had been shoplifting and mugging people to get by. As she thumbed through the cash, counting it, she heard a voice saying, "Hey, girlie, you got something for us?"

She looked up and saw three white guys and one black guy standing in front of her. One of them wore a white shirt with black stripes running horizontally. The other three were wearing yellow shirts with black stripes. She recognized those colors: Jones Street Boys. A bunch of rich trust fund kids from Bensonhurst who rumbled just for kicks. Angel saw them around a lot whenever she visited Shade. She put the money in her pocket. "No. I'm afraid I don't."

"So I guess we just hallucinated that bread you were holding just now?" one of them said.

"Sorry, not for you."

"Well then, the black guy said, "It looks like we'll just have to take it off you."

"Yeah, the blonde haired JSB said, "Right after we pull a train on you!"

Angel whipped out her knife and took up fighting position. "Don't fuck with me," she said in a threatening tone," Or I'll fucking kill all of you.

The JSB's laughed and closed in on her. "Hey!" a voice called out to them.

The all looked to their right and saw two people standing there. One of them was a white guy with shoulder-length brown hair. The other was a black girl with long, wavy hair. They were both dressed in light blue denim jackets, light blue jeans and black shirts. Those colors belonged to the Alley Cats, the gang that claimed Times Square as their turf. The guy stepped forward. "We don't appreciate no rich pricks wearing the wrong colors armying on out turf. We're gonna give you toys one last chance to leave the lady alone and walk you sorry asses back to Bensonhurst."

"Fuck you!" The guy in the white shirt said. "Let's waste these pricks!"

The Jones Street Boys rushed the two Alley Cats. They both put up a good fight but were clearly outnumbered. Angel considered taking this opportunity to run away. After all, this was a gang matter that didn't involver her. Still, these Alley Cats might have saved her from those JSB's. She tightened the grip on her knife and ran towards the JSB's, tackling one of them. Angel lost grip of her knife ad the two of them rolled across the wet pavement. They stopped rolling with the JSB on top of her who promptly tried to strangle her. Angel punched him in the face, pushed him off her and stood up. The JSB quickly recovered.

"Fucking bitch!" He yelled as he threw a punch at her. Angel dodged it. She landed a punch on his stomach and was about to throw another one when the JSB in the white shirt grabbed her from behind. The JSB she's been fighting punched her in the stomach twice. Angel raised her feel, kicking him in the stomach, grabbed the other JSB's arm and threw him over her shoulder. She stomped him on the stomach three times before he had a chance to get up. The JSB Angel had been fighting ran towards her. She threw a well-timed kick to his stomach and knocked him unconscious with a hard punch to his face.

She turned around and saw the two Alley Cats, watching her as the other two Jones Street Boys lay unconscious at their feet. The woman smiled. "Not bad! You got some skills there."

"Thanks." Angel said putting her hands in her coat pocket, where she made a horrifying discovery. Her money wasn't there. "Oh, shit!" she said as she started frantically searching the ground.

"What's wrong?" the guy asked.

"My money…It must've fallen out during the fight."

The alley was so dark; Angel had trouble seeing the ground. She didn't particularly feel like feeling her way across the ground of some dirty, rodent-infested alley. "Fuck!" she yelled in frustration. "I needed that bread to eat tonight!"

"Relax," the guy said, "Just come with us. I know of a place that'll fix you up something on the house."

Angel wasn't sure. She didn't know these two and wasn't sure if she could trust them. "How do I know you're not gonna jump me?"

"What would be the point?" The woman said. "You got no cash."

That was true. "Okay," Angel said reluctantly, "I'll go with you."

The guy smiled. "Cool! By the way, I'm Blade and this is Viper. Come on."

The three of them walked towards Phil's Diner across the street. From behind, Angel could see the patches on the back Blade and Viper's jackets: A fierce looking black cat with piercing green eyes holding a bloodied dead rat in its mouth. The words "Alley Cats" were printed on the cat's body in big orange letters.

They walked inside. "Yo, Phil!" Blade waved to the mustached man behind the counter.

Phil waved. "Hey, Alley Cats! What's up?"

Blade pointed at Angel. We got a hungry chick here who needs a little dinner. Give her whatever she wants and we'll take the cost out of this week's protection money. What do you say?"

"Sounds good." Phil said handing her a menu.

The three of them sat at a table. Angel ordered a cheeseburger and a Coke. She bit into that cheeseburger like she hadn't eaten in a month. "Damn, girl, you sure are hungry!" Viper said.

"I usually can't afford a meal like this," Angel said through a mouthful. "I'm usually just able to get what I can afford from mugging people and the five finger discount at the grocery store."

"Well, glad we could be of help," Blade said.

"Yeah," Angel said, getting started on her fries. "Why are you helping me?"

Blade seemed surprised. "What do they say about looking a gift horse in the mouth?"

"It's not that I'm ungrateful. It's just..Well, all my life, the only person who's looked out for me in my friend Shade. I've been squatting at this place above the pawn shop and she's been getting me whatever shit she can get her hands on to help me out. I guess I'm just not used to anyone else helping me out."

Blade lit a cigarette. "Yeah, well, I remember what it was like."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Me and Viper here were in the same spot as you, mugging and robbing suckers to get by."

"You two know each other long?"

"We grew up together," Viper said. "He's like a brother to me."

"Anyway," Blade said, "About a year ago, we fell in with the Alley Cats. It's been cool, man. They're like a family to us, you dig?"

Angel stared down at her plate. "Yeah…I dig."

"So," Viper said, "What's your story?'

Angel swallowed a mouthful of burger. "Well, I grew up in Tremont. My dad's been a drunk for as long as I can remember. Had a real temper too. My mom got sick of his shit and left us when I was twelve. After another six years of being his personal punching bag, I split. I wandered around New York here and there and ended up here in Times Square."

Angel was a bit surprised with herself. She had never opened up to anyone except Shade. But there was something about these two. Maybe it was because they saved her life. Maybe it was something else she couldn't put her finger on. But she felt she could trust these two.

"I understand," Blade said. "My home life was rough too. Viper's wasn't much better. We spent more and more time away from home and finally, we just never came back."

"We've always managed to get by," Viper chimed in. Being in the Alley Cats made things a bit easier for us."

The three of them chatted until Angel finished her dinner ten minutes later. They got up and walked out of Phil's. "Hey, Angel," Blade said offering his hand, "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yeah," Viper said. "Hopefully, we'll see you again soon.

Angel smiled and shook Blade's hand. "Yeah, thanks for everything. Soldier on."

The three of them waved goodbye and Angel headed back home.

_Times Square_

_10:47 PM_

Angel sat in her apartment. The lamp on the ceiling gave it a slightly stale florescent glow. The bed in the corner and a small table and chair which she recovered from a junkyard in Pelham were her only furniture. She flipped on the radio, tuning it to the station all the gangs listened to. She caught the end of some disco song. The DJ's voice came on right after the fadeout.

"Alright, boppers," the DJ said in her smooth, sultry voice, "Here's the latest word from the street. In sports news, the Baseball Furies pitched another perfect game in Riverside when the Electric Eliminators wandered onto the playing field unannounced. The Eliminators might want to think about starting spring training a bit earlier next time. Down in Harlem, the Hurricanes suffered a minor setback when they got blown over by the Boppers. Never underestimate what a crew with slick clothes and smooth moves can do. In the heart of Times Square, the Alley Cats bared their claws at a couple of Jones Street Boys and scratched them off their neon playground. That's all the news for now, boppers. Stay solid and groove to these supreme sounds."

Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" came on the radio. Angel sat at the table and stared out the window. An Alley Cats tag sprayed on the wall outside caught her attention. A family, Blade said? After considering it for several minutes, she came to a decision. It was worth a shot.


	3. Perisitence

_Disclaimer: **The Warriors** are property of Sol Yurick, Walter Hill and Paramount Pictures. Other characters property of Rockstar Games._**  
**

**Chapter 3**

** Persistence**

_Times Square_

_March 24, 1978_

_9:41 PM_

At the Alley Cats' hangout, Wolf, a tall black man who was the Alley Cats' Warlord, sat at a table, smoking a cigarette. He was dressed in Warlord attire: Dark blue jeans, a dark blue denim jacket and a black shirt.

"Yo, Wolf!"

Wolf looked up to see Blade standing behind him. "What?"

"There's someone here to see you. She's right outside."

Wolf got up, summoned Blade and Viper and walked outside. Angel stood by the door. "What do you want, kid?" Wolf asked her.

"Name's Angel. I wanna join your gang."

"That so?"

"Yeah. I'm a solid brawler. I can bop with the best of 'em. And I'm a fast learner. I'd be a good addition to your gang."

"Sorry, kid. We ain't recruiting right now. Why don't you go hang with the Lizzies?"

"I don't wanna join the fucking Lizzies! I wanna run with the Alley Cats."

"She's actually a pretty good brawler," Viper said. "She helped us out with those Jones Street Boys last night."

"Look," Wolf said, "The Alley Cats ain't a fucking country club. We don't just let anybody in. And I get the sense you ain't cut out for us. Sorry, kid."

Wolf signaled to Blade and Viper and the three of them went back in. Angel wasn't about to give up that easily. She sat outside the door and vowed to stay there until they Alley Cats gave her a chance.

_March 25, 1978_

_1:15 AM_

Wolf and a few other Alley Cats walked outside and spotted Angel sitting outside the door. "Look, kid," Wolf said, "Quit wasting your time. Go on home."

"You want me gone?" Angel said. "Give me a chance. That's all you gotta do."

Wolf sighed and led his crew down Times Square.

_March 30, 1978_

_7:50 PM_

Wolf, Blade and their scout, Lin, a young Asian man, walked outside. Angel was no longer sitting in her spot. "So she finally gave up," Wolf said," Gott a giver her credits, she hung in there longer than I expected. Alright, let's head off to Hell's Kitchen and…"

"Yo!"

The three of them turned around and saw Angel walking towards them, holding an apple. "I got hungry and decided to swipe me some dinner."

She sat back down and went back to her meal.

_April 2, 1978_

_8:27 PM_

Angel sat at her usual spot, lost in thought. The sound of the door to the hangout opening snapped her out of it. Wolf, Blade, Viper and a young man with curly brown hair walked out and walked towards angel. "We got a score to settle with the Destroyers," Wolf said. "They came to our turf and snuffed out some of our tags. So we're gonna pay them back with interest. We're gonna bomb their turn and trash a few of their stores. You wann help out?"

"Depends," Angel said. "What's in it for me?

"Your colors. This is gonna be your initiation. You dig?"

Angel got up. "Yeah, I dig."

Wolf smiled. "Solid."

He gestured towards the crew behind him. "Blade and Viper, you already know." He pointed at the curly haired man. "This is West. He's our writer. He's gonna be bombing Coney while the rest of you hit their stores."

"Got it." Angel said. "Ready to roll!"


	4. Destruction

_Disclaimer: **The Warriors** are property of Sol Yurick, Walter Hill and Paramount Pictures. Other characters property of Rockstar Games._**  
**

**Chapter 4**

** Destruction**

_Coney Island_

_April 2, 1978_

_9:34 PM_

Angel, Blade, Viper and West stepped out of the train stop in the heart of Coney. They stood on the dirty concrete ground, littered with trash. Run down, graffiti-coated stores and carnival attractions were all around them. The Wonder Wheel in the distance towered above everything, highlighted by its bright purple neon. At this point, all the stores and rides were shutting down for the night. "Okay, West," Blade said, "You know what to do."

West shook a spray can. "Yeah, man. I'm on it."

West ran off. "Uh, shouldn't he have backup?" Angel said.

"Nah," Viper said. "West always insists on bombing alone. He feels bringing people along would slow him down. Don't worry, he can take care of himself."

"Okay," Blade said, "Lin told me which stores to hit." He turned towards Angel. "Okay youngblood, ready to get down?"

Angel nodded and punched the palm of her hand. "You bet!"

"Solid! Let's roll!"

They walked inside a pharmacy, each holding a piece of plywood they had picked up along the way. They immediately started smashing shelves, windows and merchandise. The store owner yelled in protest as two customers ran off. "Okay!" Blade eventually said. "That's enough! Let's hit the next one!"

They ran outside and headed to the next store, a newsstand. They went inside and starting smashing everything in sight. Angel felt a major rush from the wanton destruction as she trashed the store. After a few minutes, she felt Blade's hand on her wrist. "Whoa, that's enough! C'mon, we got two more stores to hit and then we gotta split before the store owners call in the Destroyers.

They ran out of the store, down the streets and turned a corner, only to be greeted by fifteen guys in denim vests and white shirts returning from a party: Destroyers. "Oh shit!" Viper exclaimed.

"C'mon, this way!" Blade directed them back the way they came.

They ran down the street with the Destroyers in hot pursuit. They turned several corners and jumped a few fences, but were unable to shake them. They turned a corner and stopped dead in their tracks when the street came to a dead end. They turned around and saw the Destroyers blocking their path.

"Shit!" Angel said, "What do we do now?"

Blade and Viper looked at each other for a moment, then charged at the Destroyers. Made sense to Angel. If you're going down, go down fighting. Angel charged at the Destroyers, screaming. The three of them plowed down four Destroyers in front of them, then swung at three others. They put up a good fight, but were quickly overpowered. The Destroyers surrounded them and kept pummeling them. Angel slumped to the ground and was picked up by a fat, bald black Destroyer who raised his fist to her.

"Hold it, Lemmy!" A voice called out.

Lemmy turned around and saw a tall black man in a black sun hat. "Remember what Virgil said. Any suckers wearing the wrong colors on our turn get brought to him."

Lemmy glanced him for a moment and sighed. "Alright, Cleon, have it your way." He turned to the other Destroyers. "Alright, let's bring these toys to Virgil!"

The Destroyers grabbed Angel, Blade and Viper by the arms and marched them towards their hangout.


	5. Captured

_Disclaimer: **The Warriors** are property of Sol Yurick, Walter Hill and Paramount Pictures. Other characters property of Rockstar Games._**  
**

**Chapter 5**

**Captured**

_East Coney_

_10:58 PM_

Angel, Blade and Viper were brought in front of Virgil, a black man with a short afro that had a red afro pick in it. He sat in a chair, drinking a beer, looking somewhat sloshed. Looks like those rumors of Virgil being a drunk were true. On his right, was Beansie, a black man in glasses, a plaid sweater vest and a bomber hat. To his left was LC, a skinny guy with shoulder-length brown hair. His pale skin and dark circles around his eyes made him look like the walking dead, the result of years of heavy drug use. Virgil stood up and walked towards them. "So, you're the fucks who've been messing with out money, huh? Buy the way…" Virgil pulled out a bloodied Alley Cats jacket. "I believe this belongs to a friend of yours. We caught him bombing out turf.

"West!" Viper yelled, struggling to free herself.

Virgil laughed and walked over to Angel. "I see you're the only one who's not wearin' Alley Cats colors. Let me guess: This was part of an initiation, right?"

Angel spit in Virgil's face. He wiped it off with his sleeve. "I can tell you got spunk, kid. Too bad you had to fall in with these toys."

Angel struggled in vain to free herself. "Just let me go and I'll show just how much of a fucking toy I really am!"

Virgil sat back in his chair. "Well, this is your lucky day. We have a couple recruits who need initiating. Usually we let the local bums fight them in exchange for booze. But we've decided to use some real brawlers instead. Give you a chance to show the youngblood how much of a fighter you really are. Cleon! Lemmy! Beansie! Vermin! L.C.! Lock these fucks up!"

Cleon, Lemmy, Beansie, L.C. and a white man with curly brown hair took Angel, Blade and Viper outside. The three of them were too weak and injured to resist. They were brought to a warehouse where they were thrown inside. The moonlight, their only source of light, disappeared as the door was shut and locked behind them.

Cleon and Vermin walked back towards the hangout when they spotted a tall, lanky man with collar length blonde hair and a brown-haired man wearing a Stetson standing under a flickering streetlight. Cleon waved at them. "Yo, Swan! Cowboy!"

Swan and Cowboy looked up and waved and Cleon and Vermin approached them. "Hey guys, how's it hangin'?" Vermin said.

Swan and Cowboy shrugged. "Somethin' wrong, Swan?" Cleon asked.

"Come on, guys," Vermin said. "You can tell us."

Swan and Cowboy looked at each other. Cowboy nodded. Swan turned towards Cleon and Vermin. "We're cuttin' out tonight."

Cleon and Vermin were shocked. Swan and Cowboy were two of the first recruits the Destroyers had when Virgil and Cleon started the gang two years ago. The four of them had fought by each others' side in countless brawls. "What the shit, man?" Vermin exclaimed. "What do you mean you guys are cuttin' out?!?""

Cowboy waved his hands, making a hushing gesture. "Geez, man, think you could say that a little louder? I don't think they heard you over in Jersey."

"I don't get it," Cleon said. "What are you guys cuttin' out for?"

"We're sick of Virgil's bullshit." Swan said. The guy's nothing but a fucking drunk who's getting too paranoid for his own good."

"C'mon guys," Cleon said. "Virgil's not paranoid. Just a little cautious. That's all."

"Really?" Cowboy said. "You remember Paulo, don't cha?"

"Yeah," Vermin said. "He's the asshole who was planning to overthrow Virgil."

"No he wasn't," Cowboy said. "Me and Swan knew him forever. He was a standup guy. He was nothin' but loyal to Virgil. He'd never have done that."

"That booze is really getting to Virgil." Swan said. "It's just feeding his paranoia. First, it was Paulo. Who's gonna be next? You guys?"

"You're crazy Swan," Cleon said. "Me and Virgil are like brothers. We grew up together. We started this gang started this gang together. No way would Virgil even think we'd get rid of him."

"That's exactly what Paulo said," Cowboy said.

"We're cuttin' out tonight," Swan said. "You can come with us if you want."

They had a point. Cleon noticed something different about Virgil recently. He didn't seem to be the same person he met three years ago. Ever since he really started hitting the bottle, Virgil had undergone this transformation and not for the better. Still, Cleon felt a strong loyalty towards Virgil. After all, he was the one who took Cleon under his wing, back when he was just an aimless street orphan trying to survive. Virgil taught him to fight and stand up for himself. He came up with the idea of the two of them starting a gang. If it weren't for Virgil, he'd be just another street punk. Hell, he might not even be alive today.

"Look guys," Cleon said, "Maybe Virgil's been hitting the booze too much lately. But come on, accusing me of takin' over? You're crazy!"

Swan shrugged. "Alright. Suit yourself."

"So what are you guys gonna do now?" Vermin said.

"We'll figure something out." Cowboy said. "We always have."

Cleon and Vermin glanced at each other for a moment, then turned back towards Swan and Cowboy. "Alright, man," Cleon said. "I hope you guys know what you're doing."

"Same with you," Swan said.

They four of them shook hands and said their goodbyes. Cleon and Vermin went back to the Destroyers' hangout. Swan and Cowboy went towards the warehouse. They had something to do before they left the Destroyers behind them for good.


	6. Desertion

_Disclaimer: **The Warriors** are property of Sol Yurick, Walter Hill and Paramount Pictures. Other characters property of Rockstar Games._**  
**

**Chapter 6**

**Desertion**

Angel and Viper sat on the floor as Blade tried in vain to find a way to escape from the warehouse storeroom that served as their prison. "Well," Angel said, "I guess this means I've failed my initiation."

Viper turned towards her. "You gotta be kidding? Here we are, waiting to be Destroyer recruitment bait and you're thinking about your initiation?"

"Well, it's just…" Angel glanced down at the floor. "I was really hoping I could actually accomplish something at least once in my life. You know, show that I'm not such a joke. Prove everyone wrong. Most of all, I'm sorry I never got to tell Shade just what she meant to me. I don't think I would've been able to make through life without her."

"Hey, we ain't dead yet!" Blade said, continuing his search. "There's gotta be a way outta this shit."

Viper put her hand on Angel's shoulder. "Yeah, girl! Alley Cats don't give up that easily. You wanna prove you're Alley Cat material, don't cha?"

Angel looked towards Blade. "Okay, Houdini, got any ideas on how to get outta here?"

"Hang on!" Blade said. "I figure there's gotta be a ventilation shaft or something."

"You watch too many movies, dude," Angel said.

"Actually, I haven't been to the movies much this past year. Though, I did see that space movie last week. That kicked ass!"

"What I meant was that kinda miracle shit doesn't happen in real life."

"Geez, you're a fucking optimist"

However, Blade was starting to silently agree with Angel. He couldn't find a way out of here. Everyone's attention was suddenly drawn towards the sound of the door being unlocked. "Geez, they're using us already?" Viper said.

Angel stood up. "Fuck this! I ain't goin' out in some recruitment pen like some chump! I'm gonna bop these suckers 'til one of us gets wrecked! You guys with me?"

Viper and Blade nodded. "Yeah," Viper said, "I hear ya, girl! That's the spirit!"

"Okay!" Blade said. "Let's rock these toys!"

The moment the door opened, the tree of them charged at the two Destroyers who opened it. Angel tackled Cowboy while Blade and Viper took on Swan. Angel and Cowboy rolled across the ground. "Woah, chil!" Cowboy shouted. "We're letting you go!"

Angel, Blade and Viper were surprised. "Wait a sec," Viper said confused, "What do you mean, you're letting us go?"

Swan freed himself from Blade's grasp. "We're cuttin' out from the Destroyers tonight. Figured we'd piss Virgil off before we left."

Angel released Cowboy, who promptly got up, dusted himself off and picked his hat up off the ground. "C'mon. We'll lead the way."

Swan and Cowboy led them away from the warehouse, across a field and down several city streets. Swan pointed them down a street. "Okay, keep going that way and you'll get to a station. There's a train going down that route that'll take you to Times Square." He turned to Angel, Blade and Viper. "This is where we'll have to part company."

Cowboy waved at them. "Good luck, guys." Blade shook hands with Swan and Cowboy. "Thanks. We owe you one."

"No problem," Cowboy said. "Later, partner."

Both groups went their separate ways. As Angel, Blade and Viper walked down the street, Angel noticed something from the corner of her eye. "Hey!' She pointed around the corner towards another street. Three Destroyers were loading a bunch of stolen goods from an electronics store to a van parked right outside.

"So?" Viper said. "It's just a couple Destroyers looting a store."

"Yeah, but what if we wrecked them, took their van and made off with their merchandise? That way, we could get back, sell their shit and make a profit outta this mess?"

Blade considered this for a moment and smiled. "I like the way you think, youngblood. What about you, Viper?"

Viper smiled. "Yeah, me too. Let's do it!" She turned towards Angel. "C'mon, girl. Let's boogie!"

The three of them charged at the Destroyers, managing to catch them momentarily off guard. Angel tackled one of them, pinned him to the ground and pummeled him unconscious. Viper blocked the blows the Destroyer she faced was throwing at her with the martial arts training she had. She kicked him in the stomach, knocking his against the wall behind him. Still winded, the Destroyer swung at her and missed. Viper punched him in the face and landed a karate shop to the back of his head, knocking him out. Blade grabbed a bat off the wall and took his Destroyer down after a few blows.

The Blade and Angel of them went to the back of the truck to look at the loot while Viper went to cheack out the driver's seat.. The truck was packed with all sorts of goods: Radios, TV's, 8-track players, calculator watches and stereo speakers. "Holy shit1" Blade said. Those Destroyers have been working overtime. We can make a pretty good profit from this stuff!"

"I can hotwire this thing, no problem." Angel said.

"No need for that!" Viper said, leaning out the truck's window. "Those Destroyers left the keys in the ignition!"

"Good," Blade said. "Let's get this thing back to Times Square."

_Times Square_

_1:35 AM_

Wolf's attention was drawn towards the radio at the Alley Cats' hangout as the Parliament song on it faded and the DJ's voice took over. "Okay, boppers. We got something hot off the press for you. In the big C.I., the Destroyers caught a couple stray Alley Cats struttin' on their turf. Those ferocious felines gave the Destroyers the slip and made off with some of their hard-earned loot. Rumor has it that they had a helping hand from some Destroyers who went AWOL tonight. Sorry, Virgil. Looks like this just ain't your night. We'll be back in a bit, boppers. Meanwhile, for all you cats ready to start flexin' tonight, here's a little somethin' to help get you in the mood."

Cheap Trick's "Ello Kiddies" came on the radio. One of the Alley Cats ran towards Wolf. "Hey, Warlord! Blade and Viper are back with the new blood. And they brought back a little present!"

Wolf checked out the contents of the truck Blade, Viper and Angel had brought back. "Impressive! We're gonna make some serious bread off this shit!"

"Yeah," Blade said. "And the Destroyers were nice enough to do all the heavy lifting for us!"

Wolf walked towards Angel. "Well, youngblood, what do you say we go try on your new colors right now?"

Angel smiled. "Cool! I can dig that!"

"Meanwhile," Wolf said in a more serious tone, "We gotta see about getting us a new writer. West's gonna be a tough guy to replace."

"Don't worry," Angel said. "I happen to know somebody."


	7. Shade of Green

_Disclaimer: **The Warriors** are property of Sol Yurick, Walter Hill and Paramount Pictures. Other characters property of Rockstar Games._**  
**

**Chapter 7**

** Shade of Green**

_Times Square_

_April 6, 1978_

_10:24 PM_

Wolf and Angel watched Shade spray an Alley Cats tag on the wall of a boarded up store. For only having four days to practice, she was doing a good job. "Okay," Wolf said, "She can lay down a mean mark. Question is, can she brawl?"

"Yeah. I showed her a few things. She can handle herself."

"We'll se about that." H walked up to Shade. "Okay, youngblood, time for the next part of your initiation. Let's see how well you can bop."

Wolf led shade down the street. Angel ran up to Shade's side. Shade leaned towards Angel. "So, what exactly happens next?"

"Well, you get put in the pen and a bunch of Alley Cats rush you. You fight 'em off and if you survive, you earn your colors."

"Great," Shade muttered. "I'm wondering if this was such a good idea after all."

"Hey, relax! I taught you how to flex. You learned from the best. You'll do just fine!"

"I hope so. It's just…Well, this isn't just fending off a few drunks wantin' to cop a feel. This is the big time."

Angel smiled and put her hand on Shade's shoulder. "Relax! I wouldn't have recommended you for this gig if I didn't think you could handle it. You'll kick ass down there! Just be positive!"

"Okay, I'm positive I'll get my ass kicked in the pen."

"That's not what I meant."

Shade looked at Angel and smiled. "Just kidding! I won't let you down!"

Angel smiled. "Yeah, I know you won't."

"Yo, Wolf!" Blade ran towards them. "C'mon! you gotta see this!"

Blade led them towards an Alley Cats tag. Someone had sprayed a green "O" over it. Wolf was mad. "Son of a bitch!"

"This ain't the only one either," Blade said. "We've found four others so far."

"It's the Orphans," Angel said.

Wolf turned towards Angel. "You sure?"

"Dude, I grew up in Tremont. Trust me, it's them."

Wolf turned back towards Blade. "Beef up out our patrols. Make sure they're extra vigilant tonight."

Blade saluted. "Yes, Warlord!" He ran off.

Wolf turned to face Shade. "Okay, youngblood, change of plans. Let's head back to the hangout."

_Times Square_

_10:52PM_

Shade and Angel stood outside the Alley Cats' hangout. Three other soldiers were with them. The first was Lin, the Alley Cats' scout. He and his sister Shouko grew up in Chinatown. Two years ago, a falling out with the Savage Huns forced them to flee. The two of them settled in Times Square last year and joined the Alley Cats. Lin had traveled all over New York and new the city really well. That, combined with the martial arts training he and Shouko received growing up, made him a valuable addition to the gang. Standing behind them were Rhino, a tall, muscular black man with an afro, and Claw, a white man with brown hair. They were serving as the heavy muscle on this mission.

Wolf stood before them. "Okay, we're gonna teach those Orphans a lesson in respecting out turf. You guys are gonna head down to Tremont. Shade is gonna snuff out a bunch of Orphans tags and you guys will wreck every Orphan you see along the way. Shade, this is gonna be the final stage of your initiation. Do this and you've got your colors. You dig?"

Shade nodded. "I dig."

"Solid! Angel, you're War Chief on this mission."

Angel nodded. "Got it, Warlord."

"Good. Now, move out!"

Angel, Shade, Lin, Claw and Rhino all nodded and headed out to the subway station. Wolf walked back into the hangout where he was greeted by Blade. "Hey, Wolf."

"What is it, Blade?"

"How come you made Angel War Chief? She's only been with us a few days. Don't you think we outta have someone a little more experienced leading this mission?"

Wolf leaned against the wall and lit up a smoke. "Normally, I would. But there are three reasons why I put Angel in charge. First, she grew up in Tremont. She knows the area better than any of us, including Lin. She'd be a big help in locating Orphans tags and hangouts. Second, she's known Shade a long time and knows her strengths and weaknesses. And third…" Wolf took a puff of his cigarette. "Well, after hearing your report of her performance in Coney, I just wanted to test out a theory."

Blade nodded. "Okay, but…Well, isn't taking on a bunch of Orphans kinda soft for a recruit's initiation? I mean, I can understand if it was someone heavy like the Turnbull AC's or the Satan's Mothers. Hell, even the Hi-Hats would be a better choice. But the Orphans? They're a bunch of pussies."

"True. However, I heard a rumor that something big was going down in Tremont. Don't know exactly what it is, but I got a feeling that this mission ain't gonna be quite that simple."


End file.
